Surat Al Baqarah (256-266)

{لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالعُرْوَةِ الوُثْقَى لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ} [البقرة: 256]

256- No one is forced to embrace Islam and there is no need to such compulsion because Islam is a clear religion that addresses the human mind, power and energy. It is the religion of natural disposition, intuition, and conviction; not the religion of mystery, subjugation, and compulsion. A person who shows the Islam apparently will not benefit from Islam and Muslims as long as he is not convinced with it. Moreover, it is the quality of the hypocrites whom Allah [Glory be to Him] dispraised in His Book and refused to accept their Islam. Thereby, they are dependent on the Islamic community and are a disease that spreads fast in its body.

In all cases, the faith of a person shall not be accepted except it is pure and free of willingness. Likewise, actions shall not be accepted except they are done by consent and conviction.

Thus, the difference between faith and disbelief and between the Straight Path and the deviant ways is clear. Allah placed something in humans that they can use to distinguish the difference between right and wrong. So, whoever avoids the worship of idols, the path of Satan, worshiping other than Allah, transgressing the limits that Allah has set for His Servants, and believes in Allah Alone and extracts the way of worship and acts from His Book, he holds the strongest reasons of embracing Islam, the well-nested pillar, and the strongest and uncut thread. He shall be on the Straight Path and on the right track.

Indeed, Allah hears what the tongues say and He is All-Hearer of the creed of the hearts.

 

 

{اللهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُمْ مِنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ} [البقرة: 257]

257- Allah supports His Believing Servants by strengthening their determinations, guiding them to the truth, and driving them out from the darkness of disbelief and doubt to the light of the clear truth and light that fill the hearts with assurance and increase their firmness.

As for the disbelievers who leant to Taghut [False objects of worship] and were satisfied with straying, Satan adorns for them the way of transgression and error in order to make them firm on that. Moreover, Satan increases their aberrance, darkness, errors, wanderings, losses, doubts, and worries.

The final destination of those people is Hell because it is more appropriate for the people of darkness who preferred Hell to guidance and to the clear truth. Verily, truth and error are not equal and the people of the truth and the people of Hell as well as their final end are not equal either.

 

{أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آَتَاهُ اللهُ المُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ المَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ المَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللهُ لَا يَهْدِي القَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ} [البقرة: 258]

258- Look at that arrogant and haughty king, whom Allah gave money then he came to argue with Prophet Abraham [peace be upon him] about his Lord. He did that when he saw himself possessed money and kingdom that no one ever possessed. He used to command and forbid as he wished and people used to listen and obey. So, in order to let Abraham [peace be upon him] make him see the reality of his inner self and the weakness of his power and will before his Lord, the Creator, he said: Verily, Allah gives life and causes death. What we see today in the world of human and animals is a proof for His Existence and Disposal for the universe. These things do not happen by themselves but there is a Creator and disposer for them. He takes away the lives of whom He wants whenever He wants by inward and outward reasons whether they are known or unknown.

Giving life and causing death are among the attributes of this God Who has no parallel. No one can do what He does. It is He whom I worship and I call you and the people to surrender and worship him. He is the Creator, the Giver of life and death, and in Whose Hands lies everything in this universe; there is no god but He, and no worship should be given but to Him.

That arrogant king was deceived by the human power and dominance he had, so he continued in his error and straying. Thereupon, Abraham said: I also give life and cause death.

More than one narrator mentioned that two men, who were sentenced with death, were brought before the king and he commanded one of them to be killed and forgave the other. It was mentioned that the first was killed and the second was survived, so that was the concept of giving life and causing death according to him.

Abraham [peace be upon him] did not want to elongate the argument with him while the king has that denying and arrogant mentality. He wanted to make him understand that the god who must be worshipped is the One Who controls and disposes the universe. These universal laws are made and managed by Him. Abraham asked him to change one of these laws as long as he claimed that he was a lord too. He said to him: Allah made the sun rises in the east, so command it to rise from the west!

Thereupon, that king was amazed, kept silent, was unable to speak, and was shocked by this hard evidence which left him no reason to defend himself. However, he neither submitted nor believed because he did not want to believe or see the truth and did not seek the Path of Guidance. Allah does not guide those who wrong themselves by choosing the path of error and intransigence, despite the clarity of the argument against them.

 

{أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّى يُحْيِي هَذِهِ اللهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَأَمَاتَهُ اللهُ مِئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَلْ لَبِثْتَ مِئَةَ عَامٍ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آَيَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى العِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنْشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ} [البقرة: 259]

259- Remember that person who passed by a destroyed village where its roofs and walls were fallen, its houses were deserted, and nothing therein was speaking. That man stood before that broken and dead scene saying: How can Allah restore this village after everything there had died where there is no sense or movement?!

Thereupon, Allah caused him to die for one hundred years then brought him back to life and said to him: How long did you remain dead?

He said: I stayed for a day or less! It was said to him: Yet, you have been dead for one hundred years! Look at Our Ability to cause death and Our Ability to bring you back to life. Look at your food and drink and how did We preserve it. It was not spoiled and its taste did not change during that long period. It was rather the same as you left it before your death.

This is your donkey that you were riding; see how its bones were decayed and its organs were torn apart!

This is to make you an example and a sign for resurrection after death.

Look at these scattered bones of your donkey and how We gather them piece by piece to place them in their original place, cover them with flesh, and give life to the whole shape again!

When that person realized and admitted all these signs and the matter was clear to him, he was totally convinced by the power of Allah, and said: I know that Allah is capable of everything and nothing is difficult for Him.

 

{وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي المَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ} [البقرة: 260]

260- The Prophet of Allah, Abraham [peace be upon him], supplicated his Lord saying: O Lord, show me how to revive the dead in order to see a proof by my naked eye.

His Lord said to him: Did not you believe that I am Able to give life, O Abraham?

Allah [Glory be to Him] knows quite well that Abraham is the firmest and the most powerful among the people of faith and certainty.

His Servant and Prophet Abraham [peace be upon him] said: "O Lord, I have already known and believed, but I want to see it visually to combine between that I believe and that I see visually. Thereby, my certainty will increase and my heart will feel ease for it will calm down when it sees something to confirm its belief; seeing something visually is not like hearing about it.

The author of Rawh Al Ma`any "The Spirit of meanings": "Seeing how Allah gives back life did not increase Abrahams' faith but added something that should not be believed in."

So, Allah responded to Abraham's supplication, showed him how to revive the dead, and said to him: "Take four birds, slay, cut, tear, and separate their parts on the mountains then call them and they will come to you in haste." So, their parts were brought together again and came back to life by the will of Allah.

Let it be known that Allah is Cherished and nothing disables Him. He is Wise in all that He says and does and He legislates and estimates whatever He likes.

 

{مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنْبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنْبُلَةٍ مِئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ} [البقرة: 261]

261- The similitude of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah seeking His Pleasure, such as spending on Jihad or other charitable causes and obedience, is like a grain was planted and gave seven ears and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah doubles the reward of those who spent in His Way of the like and more, to whom He wills; according to the conditions, devotion, and the efforts of the spender.

Allah is All-Sufficient for His Creatures’ needs. He gives out of His Bounty and He is not harmed by the sustenance and favors that He gives to the people. He is All-Knowing of those who deserve His Bounty and knows the intention of the spenders and the amount which they spent.

 

{الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنْفَقُوا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ} [البقرة: 262]

262- Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, seek His Pleasure, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury will have the promised reward at their Lord. They do not hurt, show off, taunt, or slander the beggars with words they do not like to hear or be published about them, but they give them money with good manner and smiling face. Those people will not be harmed in the world nor in the Hereafter and they shall not regret what they missed in this world because they had obtained what is better for them.

 

{قَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى وَاللهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ} [البقرة: 263]

263- Good and sweet words that the hearts accept and forgiving the beggars for their frequent asking is better than a charity followed by slander and undesired words.

Allah is Free of all needs and Most-Forbearing for He does not rush the punishment for those who slander others with their charities.

 

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالمَنِّ وَالأَذَى كَالَّذِي يُنْفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الآَخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَاللهُ لَا يَهْدِي القَوْمَ الكَافِرِينَ} [البقرة: 264]

264- O believers, do not let your charities go in vain that is when you follow it up with reminding the beggars with your charities and harm. That action will waste the reward of the charity you have given.

This is the example of those who spend and show off with their charities. They spend so that people could see them and they do not seek the reward from Allah because they do not believe in Allah nor in the Day of Retribution. Such people shall not have the reward of that they spent.

His similitude is like a smooth rock covered with light dust then was showered by heavy rain. The rain swapped the dust and left the rock smooth but without causing plants to grow, so what was the benefit of the rain!

Likewise, the actions of the hypocrites shall not benefit them and do not retrieve a reward, but they go in vain and waste at Allah, even if they are good acts according to people.

Verily, Allah does not guide the disbelievers to good and guidance, and they did not ask for guidance from Allah.

The Ayah denotes that hypocrisy, slander, and harm are from the qualities of infidels, so it is essential for the believers to avoid them.

 

{وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاةِ اللهِ وَتَثْبِيتًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ جَنَّةٍ بِرَبْوَةٍ أَصَابَهَا وَابِلٌ فَآَتَتْ أُكُلَهَا ضِعْفَيْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُصِبْهَا وَابِلٌ فَطَلٌّ وَاللهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ } [البقرة: 265]

265- As for those who give their money in the cause of Allah, seeking His Pleasure, and hoping for His Reward while they are sure that Allah shall not waste their actions and He shall reward them as long as they devote their intentions and believe in the Day of the Recompense, their example shall be like a garden on a hill showered by heavy rain then produced double gardens. However, if there is no much rain then small spray of rain will be enough for watering its fertilized soil.

It is also like an uninterrupted and continuous act of a believer, but it is acceptable to Allah Who doubles it. Nothing of the actions of the servants of Allah is hidden from Him and He shall reward them for those actions.

This Ayah gives an exhortation to devotion and warning against hypocrisy and the like.

 

{أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاءُ فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللهُ لَكُمُ الآَيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ} [البقرة: 266]

266- Does any of you like to have a shady grove, where fresh water and streams are running from underneath the palms and the trees of grapes? A person shall have what he wants of delicious good fruits that will bring about good and blessings that will suffice him and those whom he supports. However, when he grew old and was unable to plant and work, he had children and young grandchildren who cannot afford themselves. At that condition, there came a stormy wind dragging a severe fire and burnt down the whole grove; leaving neither trees nor fruits.

It is a parable that Allah gave for "A rich man who obeys Allah then Allah sent him the devil which spoiled his work with sins," as Ibn `Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them] interpreted. [Reported by Al Bukhari in his Sahih i.e., book of authentic Hadiths].

A person must do good deeds at the beginning of his life, do charitable acts and when he grows up and approaches death and Reckoning, his life turns upside down. He abandons good and righteous deeds while he is in bad need to them and that causes him to lose the reward when he needs it.

So, who wants to be like that person and who likes to have a similar destiny like that one?

They are examples and clear signs that Allah gives you so that you may consider, reflect on, and act accordingly.